Denmark on five projections
Denmark covers 42,579 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 3.21 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
This object
- True area
- 42,579 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 56.1° N
- Angular radius
- 1.8°
- Draggable latitude range
- -83.8° … 83.4°
On five projections
Each number is measured against its own projection's equator, not against another projection. These five rows do not share an axis - they are five answers to the same question: what did this map give up to lay this place flat?
| Projection | Area distortion | Shape distortion |
|---|---|---|
| Equirectangular | 1.79 | 1.79 |
| Mercator | 3.21 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.41 | 1.40 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.46 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.60 |
Mercator inflates it most, 3.21 times over. Equirectangular stretches it most: its long axis is 1.79 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
Nothing in the catalogue is close to Denmark's area at a far enough latitude to be worth the comparison.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Denmark and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Eritrea: Eritrea is truly 2.81 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.06 times bigger.
- Benin: Benin is truly 2.76 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.13 times bigger.
- Cuba: Cuba is truly 2.71 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.02 times bigger.
- Honduras: Honduras is truly 2.68 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.12 times bigger.
On an equal-area projection this section is empty, for every object there is. An equal-area map draws in proportion to true area, so it cannot draw a larger thing smaller. That is a definition, not a coincidence.
Open it in the tool
Drag Denmark across the latitude bands and the readout follows.